President Barack Obama’s budget would spend $2.3 billion on cleanup at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in 2016. But it shifts the focus of cleanup. The proposed budget would spend more on cleanup of the tank waste and a massive plant meant to treat that sludge. The President’s proposed budget would cut about $100 million from the Department of Energy’s Richland Operations office.

The popular Julyamsh Powwow, the largest such event in the Northwest, has been canceled this year in northern Idaho.

The Julyamsh event was to be held at the Greyhound Park in Post Falls, where it’s taken place for the last 17 years. But last month the tribe sent a letter to Idaho lawmakers, critical of instant horse racing gaming machines that are being allowed at several sites in the state, including at the Greyhound Park.

Tribal spokeswoman Heather Keen said the cancellation centers on that dispute.

Washington Town Names

6:44 am

Mon February 2, 2015

Why is there a Des Moines in Washington as well as Iowa? What does the word "Kennewick" really mean? What on Earth is a "Twisp," and why did it stop being Gloversville? We asked our Facebook fans to tell us the names of some Washington towns they wanted to know more about.

Starting salary for Idaho teachers is lower than in Washington, Oregon, and three other surrounding states. Superintendents in Idaho border towns say that’s left them with shortages. Idaho lawmakers in both parties want to raise teacher salaries during the legislative session.

Federal regulators said Oregon is not doing enough to protect water quality in coastal areas. A ruling Friday could end up costing the state millions.

More than fifteen years ago, the Environmental Protection Agency told Oregon it needed to tighten regulations on nonpoint source, or runoff-related, pollution. Some changes happened, but not enough. Federal officials said Oregon’s logging rules still don’t do enough to protect fish habitat and drinking water.

SeaWorld is famous for its choreographed dolphin and Orca whale performances. Now a Washington state lawmaker wants to make sure what happens at SeaWorld stays at SeaWorld. He introduced legislation to prohibit marine mammal shows in Washington.

Washington state Senator Kevin Ranker remembers visiting SeaWorld San Diego several years ago.

“It was a very powerful experience for me and not a positive one,” Ranker said.

Wolves in the eastern third of Oregon have reached a key milestone in the state’s recovery program. Officials have confirmed seven breeding pairs. It’s the third year in a row a healthy number of pups have survived. Those two indicators of a recovering wolf population trigger phase two in the state's wolf reintroduction plan.

Oregon’s wolf program coordinator Russ Morgan spoke Wednesday on Oregon Public Broadcasting’s talk show, Think Out Loud. Morgan said one of the big takeaways is that ranchers can now kill wolves that are chasing livestock on their properties.